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Please email it to Steve and thanks!

11-29-99

Adobe Announces Availability of PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 4.0 SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 29 -- Adobe Systems today announced the availability of PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 4.0 for Windows, providing easier ways to share photos in e-mail or on the Web, offering new projects with more creative possibilities, and delivering new features for enhancing images. Version 4.0 of PhotoDeluxe, the world's best-selling consumer photo editing software with over 20 million units shipped, continues to provide simple step-by- step instructions on touching up and editing photos. It also provides guided activities that allow customers to combine their personal photos with professionally-designed templates to create everything from cards to calendars. Users can easily import photos from digital cameras directly into PhotoDeluxe with FotoExplorer, technology from Fotonation. Once photos are imported into PhotoDeluxe, photo sharing and organizing in the new version of PhotoDeluxe is as simple as drag and drop. Users simply name albums or add comments to the back of photos and a powerful search capability lets users find photos by captions, names, dates or any other text in the comment sections. PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 4.0 for Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or Windows 4.0 NT is immediately available for $49 (U.S.). Upgrades for registered owners of earlier versions of PhotoDeluxe will be available for an estimated street price of $39 (U.S.). International English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Swedish versions of Adobe PhotoDeluxe 4.0 for Windows will be available in January 2000.

11-29-99

SR Electronics Announces PowerGrip Ultra SR Electronics announces the availability of two new digital camera products; the PowerGrip Ultra which features a powerful 3750 maH NiMH battery pack, a dual mode digital slave trigger with hot shoe for use with any regular flash, a camera bracket with a padded leather comfort grip, storage pockets for extra memory cards, and a neck strap -- It's the ultimate digital camera accessory! The lower cost PowerGrip version features an 1875 maH NiMH battery pack.

11-27-99

Nikon D1 Article/Review Posted Thanks to digital imaging professional Mike Berceanu for allowing me to reproduce his excellent Nikon D1 article here on our site. Mike was lucky enough to be able to borrow (steal?) a new Nikon D1 and get some hands-on experience with this terrific camera. I'm glad somebody is getting to use these cameras, most of us are still waiting. 11/29/99 update:   Mike just sent me ten of his Nikon D1 pictures and they have been posted on the Nikon D1 samples page.

11-27-99

PC Watch Posts Comdex '99 Reports Their pages are all in Japanese but the pictures pretty much tell the story anyway. You'll recognize a lot of these digicams as we have reviewed them but there's still some interesting new ones that we haven't seen yet. Including the 1.3-megapixel Panasonic 3x zoom camera that uses the new 120MB optical discs on this PC Watch Comdex '99 page. Further down the page are several pictures of Iomega Labs' 2.1-megapixel ZipCam with an 8x zoom that uses the 100MB ZIP discs. Both of these cameras are HUGE by today's standards but considering the storage media they use, their size is proportional.

11-24-99

EagleEye OpticZoom S&H Prices I just recv'd email from the folks at EagleEye that they have just updated their web site with new sample photos taken with the 5X add-on OpticZoom lens. The price of the lens is £176.25 (approx $282 USD) and the shipping/handling (just announced) will be: UK - £7.00 (inc VAT) allow 1-2 days delivery. EU countries - £9.11 (inc VAT) allow 2-3 days delivery REST OF WORLD - £10.83 allow 7 days for delivery According to the EagleEye folks it will be mid-December before they are ready to start taking orders, check their web site for further information.

11-24-99

Photo Sharing Sites Reviewed My good friend Dennis Curtin has spent the better part of a week comparing and reviewing the photo sharing web sites and is almost done. Follow the URL and check out what he's found out about them already, it might just surprise you. While you're visiting Dennis' web site be sure to check out his selection of digital photography books, they're inexpensive and loaded with great info for beginners and the rest of us. He's got camera-specific books for the Canon A5/A50, Olympus C-2000Z, Nikon 950, Ricoh RDC-5000 and the brand new Olympus C-2500L. And let's not forget the main theme of his Short Courses web site which is to educate you in the workings of digital cameras and the entire digital imaging process. Don't think that you know it all until you peruse the mountain of info that Dennis has to offer at this site, it's quite extensive!

11-23-99

Canon S10 Photo Tour of Comdex '99 Reader Dave Komanski emailed me the following message: Steve, I found your site after seeing mention of your reviews on Imaging-Resource. I was glad to see you got a quick review out on the Canon S10, which I bought Nov. 2nd at Fry's in Anaheim, Ca. I took the camera to COMDEX and have posted about 72 pictures at PhotoIsland. To gain access you need to put in the ID name "Kevad" and the password is "Guest". These were resized down from 1600 by 1200 in the fine mode using PhotoIsland's jpeg compression program. The pics in Comdex '99 are compressed at 70% and thus you get 50 to 80 KB files and most of the pics in Comdex II are compressed at the 90% setting. There are a few actual sized pictures straight from the camera, that were not resized or software compressed in Comdex II identified by saying actual size 1600 by 1200. I just wanted you and the readers to know that most pictures would not print out at the full quality due to all the resizing and recompressing.

11-23-99

Size Matters! Delkin Ships New High-Capacity 224MB CF Type II Cards Delkin Devices, the leading innovator of eFilm flash memory upgrades and memory related products, announced it has started shipping the new CompactFlash Type II in 224MB. The eFilm 224MB CFII is fully compliant with all CompactFlash Association specifications and guaranteed to be 100% compatible with all CFII devices. The thicker 5.0mm CompactFlash Type II is compatible with all CFII slots and PC ATA Type II slots (with the use of an eFilm PC Card adapter) in megapixel digital cameras, handheld PC's with Windows® CE Pro Edition, laptops, PC's, MP3 players, and other CompactFlash Type II compliant devices. CFII compliant digital cameras like the new Nikon D-1 and the Epson PhotoPC 850z produce extremely large files of higher resolution pictures, taking up an enormous amount of memory capacity. Delkin engineers tested the new 224MB CompactFlash Type II in the labs with the Epson PhotoPC 850z. This 2.11 megapixel digital camera has a resolution of 1984 x 1488. The tests resulted in 3,312 pictures in Standard mode, 643 Super Fine mode, and 321 pictures in Uncompressed mode.

11-22-99

Dicom's Dental Imaging Suite to be Distributed With Digital Doc, Inc's Intraoral Camera LAS VEGAS--Nov. 22, 1999--Dicom Imaging Systems, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with Digital Doc, Inc. to bundle its Dental Imaging Suite(TM) with Digital Doc's cameras. With over 60 dealers worldwide, Digital Doc's dealer network is the fastest growing distributor of intraoral cameras, with sales of more than $250 million to dentists, hygienists and other dental professionals. A research and development firm for the advancement of high-tech products in the dental and medical industries, Digital Doc, led by P. Michael Williams, holder of all original patents for intraoral cameras, has developed a new state-of-the-art, digital, wireless, camera. In addition to distributing Dicom's software, Digital Doc, as a Sony technical partner (NYSE:SNE - news), will distribute several Sony Medical Systems products that are compatible with the intraoral camera and that will enhance the capabilities of dentists and the efficiency of their practices. Together, Dicom, Digital Doc, and Sony have so revolutionized the intraoral camera that it may render existing technologies in the intraoral camera industry obsolete. "Dicom, partnered with Digital Doc and Sony, have the vision, the expertise, the experience and the leadership to make it possible for dentists to move easily into the 21st Century as we improve dentistry, the day-to-day lives of dental practitioners, and the level of dental care that patients receive," stated Dr. David Gane, President of Dicom. "This arrangement will further Dicom's goal of setting the standard of DICOM (Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine) compliance in the dental industry." Here's some sales info on Digital Doc from Lone Star Dental Corp

11-21-99

ArcSoft Launches New PhotoStudio 2000 ArcSoft announced the release of PhotoStudio 2000, its new full-featured, dynamic photo-editing program that gives users the ability to perfect their digital images. With a suggested retail price of $39.99, PhotoStudio2000 offers everything a high-end, high-priced, photo-editing program does, but at a price everyone can afford. PhotoStudio 2000's newest features meet any home or office photo-editing need. PhotoStudio now offers the ability to work with layers. The multiple layer feature enables users to apply special effects or enhancements to each layer without affecting other layers - making it easy to change or alter any edits they may have at a later time. With the new Macro feature, PhotoStudio users can create and save a series of effects and enhancements as a single one-click command - allowing the user to apply the batch process on hundreds of images with a single click. Separating itself even further from the competition, PhotoStudio 2000 provides a complete set of editing and retouching tools that are extremely easy to use. The program, running at lightening speed, enables the user to experiment and improve their digital images by providing tools like multiple undo/redo, multiple layers, transparency backgrounds, editable text, red-eye removal, one-click fixes, stitch and a variety of other editing and retouching tools. Moreover, users can instantly adjust the color of any image using enhancement tools like brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation. Among PhotoStudio's most popular features are the special effect tools, which allow users to clone, smudge, emboss, ripple and more. Additionally, PhotoStudio's new "Studio Assistant" and online Context Sensitive Help can assist the user by walking them through many of the program's features, if needed.

11-20-99

Olympus C-2000 Fast Shutter/Ext Flash Workaround! From our friends at The Imaging Resource comes this highly useful information. Wow! This is the news of the century for Olympus C-2000 owners. (Well, maybe I've been working at the keyboard a little overlong today... Still it's really tremendous news): Oly C-2000 Zoom users have long lamented that using the camera with an external flash in aperture-priority mode results in longer shutter times than you'd like, as the autoexposure circuitry tries to capture enough ambient light to produce the correct exposure. This often results in way too much ambient light in the image, blurred pictures, etc. While not the ultimate solution provided by the full-manual mode in the forthcoming C-2020 Zoom, the workaround found by IR Reader Airin Sabine Kassmann (from Germany) will come as a huge relief to thousands of C-2000 owners. - It allows you to force a shutter speed of 1/30-1/100 of a second in aperture-priority mode! Here's Airin: "Playing around with the camera, I found another undocumented feature that solves this problem: Press "OK" and "Arrow down" on the Jog dial simultaneously in Aperture priority mode with flash switched off, and the exposure time will get no longer than 1/30 s (and will be shorter with longer focal lengths). This is what you need to avoid too long exposures with an external flash at low light. (Dave's note: On my camera, it produced shutter speeds ranging from 1/30s at wide angle to 1/100s at telephoto.) You can leave this special mode by switching the internal flash and the slow flash mode on (and off). I have just tested it with my camera, which was bought in Germany. (Dave's note: As noted above, it worked on my US-branded C-2000 also, so is likely universal.) A similar result can be achieved by setting the camera to sequence shooting mode. Exposure times are then limited to 1/25 second. This does not work with the highest (SHQ) resolution, though. But I find HQ more useful in most cases, anyway." (11/22/99 update) We've had a *flood* of traffic over the note posted below on the fix for long exposure times with external flash on the Olympus C-2000! It turns out that the main workaround offered only works with recent firmware revisions: It apparently works with firmware version 951-81, but not with -80 or -79. (The alternate workaround using "burst" mode works on all units.) If anybody has information on other firmware versions, let us know. You can check your firmware version on the Mac using Juri Munkki's Cameraid utility, or on Windows systems using Max Lyon's EXIFRead.

11-20-99

Lexar Media Announces 160MB JumpSHOT CF Type I for Nikon D1 FREMONT, Calif. --Lexar Media announced the Pro Series160MB USB-enabled CompactFlash digital film and JumpShotTM USB Connection Kit , packaged as the Professional Digital Pro Pack. The 160MB digital film card is specifically is designed for professional photographers using the Nikon D1 and other professional digital cameras, and is Lexar's fastest and largest capacity CompactFlash Type 1 card to date. Lexar's Pro Series offers the largest capacities available for longer shooting times in high- resolution modes, high-performance 10X sustained write speed (X=150KB/sec., 10X=1.5MB/sec.) for maximum shooting capability, solid-state durability for harsh environments and guaranteed camera compatibility. The 160MB Professional Digital Pro Pack is expected to be available in December from camera dealers, distributors and the Company's web site with a suggested list price of $799.00. Lexar's 160MB USB-enabled CompactFlash card features 10X performance. High-speed digital film cards are important to photographers since today's latest, high-resolution digital cameras generate exceptionally large picture files that can slow picture storage times. Faster write speeds reduce the wait-time to minimize the chances of missing the opportunity for a live-action or spontaneous shot. With 160MB capacity, the Professional Digital Pro Pack allows for longer shooting times at the highest resolutions.

11-19-99

Nikon D1 "Recall" Explained The following came from Sports Shooter #14, a great source of info about professional film and digital cameras. (NPS's Ronal Taniwaki explained a recent rash of information about the new D1 digital camera.) "There are a lot of wild rumors being spread by our competitors about the recent recall of the D-1, so I thought I'd set the record straight. The recall was for a missing piece of firmware that controls the frame numbering sequence in the shoot and preview mode, and the shoot and store modes. There was a slim chance that if you switched between modes that you might overwrite a file. We're in the process of reloading the firmware and expect to resume shipping LARGE quantities D-1's this week."

11-18-99

Toshiba Posts PDR-M5 Firmware Upgrade Toshiba has just posted v2.07 firmware for PDR-M5 for purchasers in the U.S., Canada and NTSC compatible coutries. It is not for the European or other areas using the PAL television standard. This firmware upgrade may be performed by using the FlashPath floppy disk adapter or the USB port. According to Toshiba it boosts the AF (autofocus) speed, improves image sharpness and red color. Users with PDR-M4 cameras will be interested in the firmware upgrade to use 64MB SmartMedia cards. Of course I haven't even seen a 64MB SM card but we can hope, right?

11-18-99

NEWSWEEK.com to Hold Online Photo Contest NEW YORK, Nov. 17 -- NEWSWEEK.com will hold a digital photo contest to encourage creative consumer use of digital photo technology. The purpose of the contest is to showcase the advances that have been made in the medium. Entrants will be asked to e-mail a photo and explain in 50 words or less the equipment and technology they used to create it. The contest begins November 22, 1999 and runs through January 15, 2000. Contestants should submit a photo in one of four categories: travel, friends/family, human interest and landscape/nature. Semifinalists and category winners will be featured in the NEWSWEEK.com Digital Darkroom section and receive prizes, such as $2,000 toward a Dell Computer System and Kodak digital camera. The judges are from Eastman Kodak Company, Dell Computer Corporation, NEWSWEEK and Washingtonpost.com. The contest runs in conjunction with NEWSWEEK's Digital Darkroom marketing program, brought to you by Promotional Partners Dell and Kodak, which provides in-depth coverage and valuable tips for both consumer and business digital photography applications. The integrated marketing program is designed to showcase Dell's computers and Kodak's digital cameras as a complete digital photography system. A comprehensive special section written by the editors of Upside Magazine will appear in the November 29 issue of NEWSWEEK (on newsstands Monday, November 22).

11-17-99

Digital Image Viewing Devices One of our readers emailed me the URL for a company called Videochip Technologies, Inc. that is producing a whole series of LCD-based viewing devices for digital images. From a palm-sized "Wallet" viewer ($299 MSRP avail Dec 15th) all the way up to the 7.5-inch "Frame" ($499 MSRP avail Q1 2000 and pictured below) which is a lot like Sony's but much less expensive. I see them selling a lot of these for personal use as interest and sales of digital cameras has skyrocketted since the beginning of this year and promises to be even bigger in the future. The viewers can display JPG, BMP, TIF, AVI and MPG files and have their own internal software for slideshows. Your image files can be read directly from CompactFlash, SmartMedia, PC Card ATA or Sony Memory Stick cards when in the PCMCIA adapter.

11-16-99

Nikon 950 Firmware 1.2 Now Available! The Nikon folks have posted the Coolpix 950 version 1.2 firmware upgrade for Windows and Macintosh users with the NTSC version of the camera. If you have a European 950 that outputs video in PAL format you need to go to the Nikon-Euro.com web site for your upgrade.

11-15-99

SmartDisk Sells Over One Million FlashPath Adapters NAPLES, Fla.--Nov. 15, 1999-- SmartDisk Corporation today announced that it has now sold over one million units of its FlashPath(TM) floppy disk adapter. The first version of FlashPath, which SmartDisk introduced in May 1998, allows the easy transfer of digital images, data and audio from SmartMedia flash memory cards to most PCs without the need for special cards, external connections and interfaces. It is used with camera models from well-known digital camera manufacturers such as FujiFilm and Olympus. SmartDisk recently announced two new FlashPath adapters that herald the product line's compatibility with a growing number of flash memory card formats. The first is the FlashPath for Sony's Memory Stick(TM), which is to be distributed on a worldwide basis by Sony Corporation under its own brand name called Memory Stick/Floppy Disk Adaptor. The second is the FlashPath for MultiMediaCard, which SanDisk co-developed with SmartDisk. SanDisk will distribute this FlashPath globally and has placed an initial order for delivery in the first quarter of 2000.

11-15-99

Minolta and MetaCreations Introduce Ground-Breaking Instant 3D Image Capture Device LAS VEGAS, Nev.--Nov. 15, 1999-- Minolta Corporation and MetaCreations Corporation today announced the Minolta 3D 1500, a revolutionary instant 3D image capture device, will begin shipping this month. The Minolta 3D 1500 combines the high-performance Minolta Dimage EX digital camera with MetaCreations' innovative MetaFlash(TM) 3D technology to enable the quick and easy creation of photo-realistic 3D images. With easy- to-use operation, high-quality images and an affordable price, the Minolta 3D 1500 represents the ideal tool for developing Web sites, online merchandise catalogs, artifact indexes for museums, computer graphics and much more. Minolta's 3D 1500 requires no complicated systems or extensive setups like today's 3D content creation devices. By incorporating superior digital imaging technology and MetaCreations' 3D imaging hardware and software, the Minolta 3D 1500 provides the quality necessary for compelling presentations, while ensuring the flexibility necessary for MetaStream transmission over the Internet. Utilizing the detachable lens design of the Minolta Dimage EX camera series, the 3D 1500 integrates MetaCreations' MetaFlash between the camera body and the lens unit to create an easy 3D image capture device. With the 3D 1500, objects are easily transformed into photo-realistic 3D models. To capture images, users simply aim at the object and push the shutter release button. With the help of FlashPoint Technology's DigitaScript(TM) software and MetaCreations patented MetaFlash technology, the camera automatically does the rest. The 3D 1500 relies on MetaCreations MetaFlash structured-light based triangulation technology to take a series of 2D images and convert them into 3D objects. The 3D 1500 package includes the Lexar JumpShot(TM) USB Connectivity kit with everything needed for high-speed, easy downloading of images files via Universal Serial Bus port. The kit includes Lexar's USB- enabled 32 MB CompactFlash card, PC Card adapter, USB cable and software drivers for the Microsoft Windows 98®.

11-15-99

Olympus and IPIX Revolutionize Internet Imaging OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 15 -- Interactive Pictures Corporation and Olympus America Inc., Digital & Imaging Systems Group, the leading consumer digital camera manufacturer, announced today at Comdex a $249 IPIX Upgrade Kit and Personal Edition Software targeted to consumer photography for the Internet. The kit will allow users to easily create IPIX images, which capture a 360-degree view and are fully navigable with a mouse. With IPIX images, viewers can pan up, down and all the way around to see an entire setting. Wide-ranging consumer applications for IPIX images include photos of vacations, birthday parties, homes and weddings where a snapshot only captures part of the picture. For Olympus camera users, the IPIX Upgrade Kit includes a fish-eye lens optimized for filmless digital photography and IPIX(TM) Wizard 2.2 software to create and view 360-degree by 360-degree images on Windows or Macintosh PCs. The Olympus Fish-Eye lens is a high-performance lens with multiple coating to optimize image quality. The lens works with Olympus D-450 Zoom, D-340R, D-340L, D-400 ZOOM, D-320L and D-220L digital cameras. The IPIX Upgrade kit is available December 1999 for $249.00 and includes a fish-eye lens, IPIX Wizard 2.2 software, a tripod rotator, two adapters for Olympus cameras, and a certificate for three IPIX images. Additional Personal Edition IPIX images are $1 each can be purchased online at www.ipix.com. Trouble in IPIX Land? Before you make the jump into IPIX imagery consider the following: Each IPIX panoramic image requires payment of a royalty fee that costs you $25 each. There is an ongoing battle between IPIX lawyers and anyone that comes even close to infringing on IPIX's so-called patent claims. For more info see this WIRED article and visit this German web site.

11-13-99

Imaging-Resource Posts New Reviews Olympus C-2500L My friends over at the Imaging-Resource have posted their Olympus C-2500L Review and here's what Dave had to say about it. Olympus has clearly "raised the bar" for performance in high-end digicams with the C-2500L. The image quality is exceptional, the design strong and user-friendly, and the range of application via the optional accessory lenses and the FL-40 dedicated flash unit excellent. It showed both the highest resolution and most accurate color of any camera we've tested to date (October, 1999). The only factor holding us back from a completely over-the-top, wildly unobjective enthusiasm for the camera is its limitation to only two aperture settings. In practice though, we didn't find ourselves nearly as constrained by that limitation as we expected to be. Overall, a huge thumbs-up!" Also be sure to check out our full review of the Olympus C-2500L too. QuickStitch v2.0 And the Imaging-Resource also has a user review of the latest QuickStitch v2.0 panorama stitching program. Looks even better than the original version which is a simply marvelous program, even beginners can stitch together a panorama their first time out. And be sure to scroll down the News page (possibly onto the other page) as Enroute has also just announced their ultimate stitching program - PowerStitch for pro users.

11-13-99

Qimage Pro 7.0 Just Released The paparazzi of printing is at it again -- Mike Chaney has added several more new and highly useful features to his Qimage Pro printing program. New with version 7.0 is the ability to save your pages as hi-res image files with basically unlimited resolution. For those who love to create scrapbooks you can now do it with Qimage Pro by using any of the included cutout templates (diamond, heart, hearts, oval, ripples, rounded-rectangle or sunshine) or make your own following the directions given in the help file. The red-eye removal tool now also works on green (as seen in animal's eyes) as well as just about any other "abnormal" pupil color. If you haven't tried Qimage yet -- go download an evaluation copy of it and see what thousands of other satisfied Windows shutterbugs are using to print their digital images.

11-12-99

IBM To Market 64, 96 and 128MB CompactFlash Cards IBM and Apricorn are announcing a new line of IBM 64, 96 and 128MB CompactFlash cards to increase the value of accessories and peripherals by expanding storage memory. The small, portable size of the card eases data transport and allows personal and business image management, backup and archiving. Pricing is as follows: $179 for 64MB, $279 for 96MB and $339 for 128MB. IBM CompactFlash cards are also available in 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48MB. All IBM CompactFlash products are supported by years of experience and expertise in memory products. Check out the latest IBM flash offerings (including the IBM USB CompactFlash reader and IBM PC card adapter) during Fall Comdex at the Marriott Suites Hotel (located near the Las Vegas Convention Center) 325 Convention Center Drive, IBM suites #213 and #215, second floor. Or visit our Web site at www.apricorn.com.

11-12-99

Record-Breaking On-Line Giving Seen By Nikon on First Day of Charity Camera Event MELVILLE, N.Y., Nov. 12 -- With on-line fundraising still considered an unproven medium, Nikon today announced a coup, as its experimental "cameras for charity" program raised an extraordinary, record-breaking $55,000 in on- line donations on Monday, its first day. The company has created a collectors' limited edition series of just 2,000 Nikon Millennium Coolpix® 950 digital cameras, and is selling them exclusively on the Nikon Outlet website. $500 is being donated to the Imus Ranch, a children's charity, in the name of each purchaser. "We are astounded at the results," said Nancy Carr, general manager for Nikon's digital and film consumer cameras, who developed the program. "We created this as a way of giving back while celebrating the new millennium. But we anticipated that it would take several months at least to reach our goal of raising a million dollars for charity. At this rate, we could sell out our entire supply in just 18 days! And since this is a limited edition collector's item, when these 2,000 are gone, there will be no more manufactured." The millennium cameras are sleek, specially crafted renditions of the enormously successful Nikon Coolpix® 950 digital camera, recently named the #1 digital camera by a leading product testing organization. The highly- stylized 2.11 megapixel cameras have a completely new look, as well as an individualized plate with each camera's unique number (from 0001 to 2000. The millennium Coolpix 950s, which sell for $2000 each, come with a deluxe Millennium Accessories Package that includes 8mb and 64mb compact flash cards, a card reader, battery, charger, a rugged black carrying case, a set of four photographic filters, a special five-year limited warranty extension, and a certificate of authenticity. Proceeds from the sale of the 2,000 cameras are going to the Imus Ranch for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. At the full-scale working ranch, children spend 10 days experiencing the life of the great American cowboy, working with real wranglers, tending sheep, rounding up cattle, and enjoying life-affirming outdoor activities. They also spend time with craftsmen and artists. As part of the charity program, a tax deduction letter acknowledging a donation of $500 to the Imus Ranch will be mailed to each purchaser.

11-12-99

Canon S10, Elura and ELPH 2 Receive 'Best of What's New' Awards from Popular Science Magazine LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Nov. 11 -- Canon U.S.A. Inc. today announced that its PowerShot S10 digital camera, ELPH 2 Advanced Photo System Camera and Elura mini digital video camcorder have been selected by POPULAR SCIENCE as the "Best of What's New" for 1999. The products were chosen from the thousands introduced in 1999 and as three of the year's 100 greatest achievements. In selecting the year's best products, the editors and product reviewers of POPULAR SCIENCE made their selection based on a product's overall ability to enhance the lifestyle of the readers of the magazine. Receiving awards in two categories -- Audio/Video and Photography -- the Elura, PowerShot S10 and ELPH 2 were selected based on their outstanding features and performance.

11-11-99

Toshiba Introduces 6.3-Inch XGA Resolution LCD IRVINE, Calif.--Nov. 10, 1999--Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) Wednesday announced that Toshiba Corp. reinforced its leadership in low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal displays (LCDs), with the development of the world's first 6.3-inch display with XGA resolution, the LTM06C310. The new LCD's 1,024 x 768 pixel image is supported by a 0.126-millimeter dot pitch that achieves a density of 202 pixels per inch (ppi). With this latest 6.3-inch LTPS LCD breakthrough, the company brings a resolution matching that of high caliber printed color materials, such as found in magazines, to a compact LCD panel similar in size to a typical photograph or a paperback book. The market for mobile products is growing and diversifying as cellular phones and PDAs take on e-mail and Web-browsing capabilities. In addition, the demand for digital cameras is also booming. Advances in all of these areas are fueling the demand for smaller, brighter, higher-resolution displays that are able to operate on low battery power. Toshiba's new 6.3-inch LTPS display is expected to support further developments in such areas as electronic books (e-books) and personal digital-picture viewers.

11-11-99

Enroute Announces New PowerStitch LAS VEGAS, NV, Nov. 11 -- Digital Focus, Comdex - Enroute Imaging, announced today PowerStitch(TM), the first digital imaging software capable of stitching together multiple images to render ultra-resolution professional-quality panoramas, effectively turning any standard camera into a medium or large format camera. Geared toward professional and prosumer digital and film-based camera users desiring high resolution images for extra-large output, PowerStitch stitches together a grid of very high-resolution images. PowerStitch generates images suitable for creation of trade show murals and displays, photo quality posters, advertising, replicas of large blueprints, and maps, accurate prints of multiple microscopic slides, and other professional applications. "PowerStitch's capabilities are very impressive," said Walter Urie, Owner, Walter Urie Photography after viewing the 500MB output file of his Arches National Park panorama. "The ability to create a seamless high resolution panorama from seventy to eighty 2.5 megapixel images of this complexity is truly remarkable." PowerStitch features include: Unprecedented image resolution limited only by a user's system capabilities. Advanced two dimensional stitching capability allows stitching of multiple rows and columns of images. An intuitive 3D workspace offering the first WYSIWYG viewing of the project during creation. Unique template creation feature enables users to predefine project settings, ideal for repetitive stitching projects. Image alignment can be obtained automatically, or user can manually adjust roll, tilt, pan, field of view and lens distortion. Full resolution image zoom capability for detailed viewing of images without pixelation. PowerStitch will be available in December for $399.

11-10-99

Fujifilm's MX-1700 Zoom Digital Camera Receives a 'Best of What's New' Award From Popular Science Magazine ELMSFORD, N.Y.--Nov. 10, 1999-- Today, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. will receive a 1999 "Best of What's New" Award from Popular Science magazine for its MX-1700 ZOOM, the world's smallest megapixel digital camera with a 3x aspherical zoom lens. The award will be presented during a special event at Tavern on the Green restaurant in New York City. The latest addition to its signature 700 series of pocketable megapixel digital cameras, Fujifilm's MX-1700 ZOOM is similar in size and body design to its MX-700 and MX-2700 predecessors. It sports an improved, high- resolution 1.5-million pixel CCD with RGB color filters along with a newly crafted all-glass, miniature aspherical zoom lens. The results of these features are outstanding image quality and superb color reproduction, both hallmarks of Fujifilm digital cameras. The MX-1700 ZOOM is the first digital camera of its kind to have an all-glass aspherical zoom lens. Previously used in higher end lens applications, Fujifilm manufactures the MX-1700 ZOOM's aspherical lens via a newly developed glass injection mold process that allows the company to mass produce the lens, making aspherical lens manufacture efficient and economically viable for consumer digital cameras. With this specially- developed aspherical zoom lens the MX-1700 ZOOM delivers pin-point image sharpness and improved optical quality while eliminating aberrations, vignetting, and light fall-off - benefits any shutterbug would enjoy.

11-10-99

SiliconTech Announces 320MB CompactFlash Type II Card SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 8 -- SiliconTech, Inc., a leader in innovative memory design and manufacturing for the OEM industry, today announced its 320 MB Type II CompactFlash card, the highest capacity available in this form factor. SiliconTech reaches its high capacity while maintaining its industry leading Read and Write speeds of up to 3 MB per second Write and up to 1.5 MB per second Read. SiliconTech achieves its high capacity through innovative engineering that includes the use of its patented stacking technology used to stack the flash components. The card is 5mm thick, has 50 pins, and is compatible with any full size Type II slot with the use of a CompactFlash Type II adapter. The CompactFlash Type II (CF/2) standard was adopted by the CompactFlash Association in March of 1998. The SiliconTech 320MB card is a 256-Mbit flash device using AND architecture. The card can accept either 3.3V or 5V power supply and feature operating and non-operating shock resistance up to 2000G, the equivalent to a 10-foot drop. Current pricing for the SiliconTech 320 MB CompactFlash Type II cards in OEM quantities of 1000 is approximately $795.

11-10-99

2.1-Megapixel Kodak DC290 With Digita OS Is Now Shipping SAN JOSE, CALIF., Nov. 9, 1999 - FlashPoint Technology Inc., continued to drive toward the standardization of digital imaging as it announced today that Eastman Kodak has released its new DC290, 2.1-Megapixel digital camera, which features FlashPoint's powerful Digita software operating environment. The DC290 represents the seventh Digita-enabled digital imaging appliance that, through software, opens the door to new imaging possibilities to consumers and professionals alike. The DC290 is built on Kodak's award-winning DC260/265 camera platform. The Digita operating environment lets users customize the DC290's features with downloadable applications and Digita Scripts. Digita File is a file management program that is pre-installed on the DC290. With Digita File you can backup all the files from one CompactFlash card to another, delete and rename files, view image information and CompactFlash card details, and find files by date, category or group filters. The DC290 joins an award-winning platform of Digita-enabled intelligent imaging products, including the Hewlett Packard C-500, Kodak DC220, DC260, and DC265, Minolta's Dimâge EX1500, and Epson's PrintOn photo printer. FlashPoint has over 2,500 registered developers creating solutions for business and personal applications, including MetaCreations, Digitella, Techlogix, PictureWorks and Image Software. The Kodak DC-290 is the first model to offer the application layer interface (API's) of the Digita Applicatio n Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows deeper access to camera control systems for more powerful and feature-rich camera applications. A wide variety of powerful and fun scripts and applications are now available at www.flashpoint.com. I'm working on finishing up our Kodak DC290 review as quickly as possible. Right now it is in First Look status and we've already posted some sample pictures too.

11-10-99

Nikon's D1 Professional Digital SLR Camera Wins Popular Science Magazine's 1999 'Best of What's New' Award MELVILLE, N.Y., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Popular Science Magazine announced here today that it has selected the Nikon D1 2.74-megapixel professional digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera to receive the prestigious 1999 "Best of What's New" Award, marking the second consecutive year that a Nikon camera has won this important award. Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of new products, technological developments and scientific achievements, and select the top 100 for distinction as winners of the "Best of What's New" Awards. Nikon's D1 camera, along with all of the other "Best of What's New" winners, will appear in a 26-page editorial section as the cover story for the 1999 December issue of the publication. In addition, all 100 winners will be posted on the Popular Science website.

11-10-99

FRCN Posts Printing Program Comparison Randy Glass, editor of the Feather River Canyon News, emailed me to let me know that he had just updated his comparison of the popular printing programs for Windows users. Compared are Photo Paper Saver, Qimage Pro, Prince Digital and Photo Assistant98 Light. You'll also find all sorts of other software reviews on Randy's site including one he recently did on PicaView, one of my favorite little helper app-extensions for Windows Explorer.

11-09-99

Epson PhotoPC 850Z User Review Posted The full Epson PhotoPC 850Z user review has now been posted. I was impressed with its real camera features (shutter and aperture priority and full manual exposure) and the overall image quality but it does have several flaws. The most annoying of these is a variable shutter lag time and a color LCD that is supposed to be better in the sunlight than it really is.

11-09-99

Sony DSC-F55 User Review Posted I have posted the Sony DSC-F55 user review. This is the first of Sony's new 2-megapixel digicams to use a hybrid color LCD screen. The F55 is small enough to slip in your pocket but delivers 1600x1200 resolution images that are razor-sharp thanks to its swiveling Carl Zeiss lens.

11-09-99

Lexar Media Wins "Best Of What's New" Award From Popular Science Magazine FREMONT, Calif., Nov. 10, 1999 - Lexar Media today announced it has won the Popular Science 1999 Best of What's New Award for its USB-enabled CompactFlash digital film products. Designed and optimized for digital cameras, Lexar's USB-enabled digital film and JumpShot USB cable is a fast and easy way to transfer images to a computer via the USB port. Lexar digital film is available from retailers, camera dealers, distributors and the company's web site in capacities ranging from 16 to 160 megabytes, with prices starting at $69.00. Each year the editors of Popular Science annually review thousands of new products, technology developments and scientific achievements. Only 100 winners are selected for distinction as the "Best of What's New." "This is the equivalent of winning an Academy Award," said John Reimer, President and CEO of Lexar Media. "From the start, our goal for Lexar Media has been to offer the best digital film products possible. We are extremely honored that Lexar's USB-enabled CompactFlash digital film cards and JumpShot USB cable are recognized by Popular Science for this remarkable accomplishment." Breakthrough Design Benefits Digital Cameras Available in capacities from 8 to 80 megabytes, this solution gives digital photographers a fast and convenient method of downloading their images via the USB port at a fraction of the cost of a typical USB reader/writer device currently available. Both Microsoft Windows 98 and Macintosh OS8.5 platforms are supported.

11-08-99

EagleEye OptiZoom Pricing Announced We reported earlier about the new EagleEye 5X OptiZoom lens for some digital cameras. At that time we did not have pricing info but they have now posted the price, £176.25 which converts to $285.70 USD. The company is in the U.K. so also add in a shipping fee to U.S. purchasers (amount not known at this time.) The first production units are due in early December. You can go to their site and check out the sample pics which I understand came from an Olympus C-2000Z camera.

11-08-99

Silicon Film's (e)Film Closer To Reality? Several readers have emailed me to let me know that it looks as if the Silicon Film's (e)Film digital insert for 35mm cameras is getting closer to coming to market (Fall of '99). We've followed this interesting but now slightly out of date device since it was originally announced many, many months ago. It is now being packaged as a complete system including the EFS-1 (e)film, (e)port, and (e)box) for a price of "below $800." The premise has always been to deliver a digital insert for conventional 35mm SLR cameras. It started as ImageK and has recently been re-labeled as eFilm, it's a CMOS imager with its own image storage and power pack and all made to fit right inside of a regular film camera. What dates it is the rather limited resolution of 1280x1024 pixels. Also not helping things is that the initial product will fit only in the Canon EOS 1N, Canon EOS A2/5; Nikon F-5, Nikon N-90/F90 and Nikon F-3 cameras. Future products will be made for other cameras.

11-08-99

The News From Rob Galbraith's Domain Want to know what's going on out in the "Pro" world of digital photo journalism? Then be sure to bookmark and visit Rob Galbraith's excellent web site where he covers the things important to his trade. Here's just a few of the things that Rob's already posted: NOVEMBER 8TH EDITION OF ROB'S DIGINEWS DOS Mounter 98 (and its variants) incompatible with OS 9 If you own an internal or external SCSI-connected PC Card reader and depend on non-Apple card mounting software, you may wish to avoid upgrading to Mac OS 9 for now. That's because Software Architect's popular card mounting control panel DOS Mounter 98 (and its variants DOS Mounter 98 SE, Mac-PC Manager and Mac-PC Manager Lite) seriously conflicts with Apple's latest operating system. Specifically, inserting a card into the reader causes the Finder to crash. Software Architects is working on a fix. For those that have already upgraded, I've identified two workarounds for my Microtech Digital Photo Album *p which should work with other readers as well, including the Minolta CD-10 and SCM Micro PCD-10, and probably readers from MPL and Adtron too. See the Rob's DigiNews website for more. NOVEMBER 6TH EDITION OF ROB'S DIGINEWS Nikon shipping "hundreds of D1's per week" in the USA Nikon tech rep Bill Pekala indicates that volume shipping of the D1 in the U.S. commenced this past week, with dealers expected to receive their first allotment Friday. See the Rob's DigiNews website for more. First volume shipment of D1 cameras recalled The Internet scuttlebutt is true: all the D1 cameras that were shipped from Nikon USA to dealers late last week had to be returned to Nikon because the loading of firmware into the cameras had not been properly completed. Danish photojournalist posts D1-DCS 620 comparison Kristian Linnemann has posted noise, colour and sharpness comparison images shot with a production D1 and DCS 620. See the Rob's DigiNews website for more. Infrared Blocking filter due in December Kodak's Wayne Shipman indicates on the PEIMag Forum that Kodak will release an alternative to the Anti-Aliasing filter next month for photographers who find the filter's sharpness loss unacceptable. See the Rob's DigiNews website for more.

11-08-99

Fuji Offers Mail-In For Free Flashpath Adapter or SM-R1 USB Reader From the The Imaging Resource comes this newsbit: Fuji is currently including a mail-in coupon for a free FlashPath floppy disk adapter or the SM-R1 USB card reader with its MX-1200, -1700, -2700 and -2900 digital cameras, according to emails we've received from several readers. From what we hear, the deal isn't necessarily even mentioned on the packaging, but it certainly makes for a nice bonus and increases the value of these cameras somewhat! If you've not got a rebate coupon in the box, though, you can get one by phoning Fuji's support folks at 1-800-659-3854 and asking them to mail you the coupon... Turns out that Computers4Sure has the Fuji rebate coupon online.

11-06-99

Don't Lose That Nikon 950 Lens Cap I saw this on our Message Board from John Sobr and had to make sure it got shared. As he says, it's a simple thing -- but not everybody is doing it -- I sure wasn't! It's probably such a simple thing that everybody is doing it, but just in case, I thought I'd share my lenskeeper trick with the forum. Unscrew the External Flash threaded "plug". Drill a tiny hole in it. Thread a string through it, and tie a knot on the inside. Since the knot is so small, melt the end right up to the knot to really secure the knot. Tie the other end to the ring on the lens cap. Now you won't have to be the next person to post a message "where do I get a spare lens cap? Tip: I bought a stick on keeper/string at the photo store, and when I was just about to stick the double-sided tape base to the camera, I saw an opportunity to use the removeable cap instead. Its been PERFECT. No more worries about where I put that silly little cap. And that string is Really Strong, its like a mini shoelace!

11-04-99

ScanSoft Announces PhotoFactory Digital Imaging Suite PEABODY, Mass., Nov. 4 -- ScanSoft, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of PhotoFactory, a suite of three innovative and award-winning photo and digital imaging applications including Kai's Super Goo, Kai's Photo Soap 2 and Kai's Power Show for both Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. PhotoFactory's powerful and easy to use editing tools allow even novice users to organize, edit, repair, liquefy, animate, print, email and share their photos with professional results. The suite's unique features let users easily create elaborate photo albums for print and sharing on the web. With PhotoFactory users can even display their collections of home photos and professional-quality business presentations as ``shows'' complete with next generation animation and special effects. The suggested retail price of PhotoFactory is $49.95. The product is available immediately from ScanSoft's website. In addition, PhotoFactory is will be available from ScanSoft retail partners, including CompUSA, Micro Center, Office Depot, Staples, Office Max, Fry's and Best Buy, as well as through major software catalogs.

11-04-99

Olympus America Announces C-2020 Zoom November 4, 1999, Melville, NY -- Olympus America today announced the C-2020 ZOOM 2.11 megapixel 3X zoom lens filmless digital camera. The latest addition to the award-winning Olympus filmless digital camera line, the C-2020 ZOOM includes features from the best-selling C-2000 Zoom, with a 2.11 megapixel resolution (1600 x 1200 pixels), 3X optical zoom lens and infrared remote. The C-2020 ZOOM incorporates fully automatic and manual controls, with many advanced features any photo enthusiast would appreciate. Additional creative controls and features include: QuickTime movie 15 fps (320 x 240 pixels) and 60 fps (160 x 120 pixels) Black & White and Sepia monochrome modes Improved wide-angle LCD Power-on dial design Battery power consumption has been improved for longer usability Manual exposure, and auto exposure Bracketing (AEB). The C-2020 ZOOM is the first Olympus camera to offer black & white and sepia modes for shooting monochrome images. In the Blackboard/Whiteboard Mode, the appropriate exposure settings are automatically selected for capturing text and ensuring clear, visible writing on the images. ISO's of 100, 200, and 400 are user selectable; and longer, slower shutter speeds are available: up to 4 seconds at ISO 100, 2 seconds at ISO 200, 1 second in Auto ISO and 400, and up to 16 seconds in manual mode. The new manual exposure mode allows the shutter and aperture to be selected independently giving greater creative control power to the photographer. Shutter speed from 16 sec. to 1/800 sec. can be selected along with an aperture setting of F2.0-F11 at a wide-angle focal length or F2.8-F11 at telephoto in 1/3 step increments. AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) offers the photographer an array of exposures (+/- stops in 1/3 step increments) to compare and select the perfect exposures for each image. The C-2020 ZOOM includes an 8MB Olympus brand panorama SmartMedia card, remote control, 4 AA NiMH batteries and recharger, lens cap, strap, serial cable for PC and Mac, video connection cable for TV or VCR, Adobe PhotoDeluxe image manipulation and creation software, Enroute Imaging QuickStitch panorama stitching software, Olympus Camedia Master Utility Software for downloading images from the camera, and instruction manuals. The C-2020 ZOOM will be available November 1999 with an expected street price of $899.

11-03-99

SmartDisk Begins Shipment of FlashPath Floppy Disk Adaptor for Sony's MemoryStick NAPLES, Fla.--Nov. 2, 1999-- SmartDisk Corporation announced it has started to provide with Sony Corporation a version of its FlashPath(TM) floppy disk adaptor for Sony's Memory Stick(TM). The FlashPath design permits the easy transfer of data, images and audio to and from flash memory cards via a PC's 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. Sony will distribute the new device under its own brand name, called Memory Stick/Floppy Disk Adaptor, on a worldwide basis. The arrangement marks the beginning of a collaboration between the two companies. The Memory Stick/Floppy Disk Adaptor works with all Sony Memory Stick capacities currently available. It will be available worldwide through Sony in mid-to-late-November.

11-03-99

More Reviews Posted! Burning the midnight (and then some) oil but finally getting some of these user reviews finished. I just posted the review of the new Quantum QB1 Compact NiMH Battery Pack which is the largest capacity external power pack we've looked at yet. Also posted is the full review of the new Kodak DC215 Zoom Millennium 2000 Edition which is a small, one megapixel camera with a 2x optical zoom and a gold metal body.

11-02-99

PC Watch Posts Latest Comparison Pics The Japanese website PC Watch has just updated their megapixel camera comparison pictures page and have now included the RDC-5300, DC290, FinePix PR21, FinePix 1200 and PowerShot S10 cameras. They take the same picture with every camera in every resolution the camera is capable of.  It gets a little boring looking at that building across the way from their office but it is gives you a point of reference to judge the quality and sharpness of the various cameras.

11-02-99

Kodak DC280 Review Posted I'm slowly but surely making my way through a pile of new digicams scheduled for review.  I just finished and posted the full Kodak DC280 user review.

11-02-99

Sony Announces New DCM-M1 Discam Camcorder PARK RIDGE N.J., Nov. 2, 1999 - Sony announced today a disc-based digital camcorder with video capture and editing capabilities all in the same unit. The MD Discam digital camcorder (DCM-M1), takes advantage of MiniDisc (MD) technology to give consumers the versatility and convenience of instant random access - now with video. Disc-based video gives consumers the speed and freedom to quickly edit video, not possible with linear tape-based video systems. MD Discam offers an unprecedented home movie-recording-and- editing experience with intuitive, easy-to-use and creative controls, including: 1/4-inch CCD with 680,000 pixels 10X Optical / 40X digital zoom, F1.7-2.2, 30mm filter threads 3.5-inch swivel LCD screen (184K pixels) Precision color viewfinder (180K pixels) 1/4 - 1/4000 sec shutter speeds (n AE mode) Built in Ethernet port touch-screen controls to enjoy the speed and convenience of Scene Shuffleä, and non-linear editing with index images of video scenes; easy-to-understand menus with user hints for playback and edit functions, such as "touch a track to copy;" titling and special effects, including scene transitions to give home movies a more professional look; touch-screen, pen-based handwriting for instant titling and paint-type graphics; Sony camcorder InfoLithium rechargeable battery with AccuPower Meter system that indicates the amount of power remaining in minutes on the LCD screen; Super Steadyshot Picture Stabilization which removes camera shake; easy connection to a television with Audio/Video out jacks; and crystal clear slow motion playback. "The MD Discam camcorder lets people create and edit the movies they truly want to watch without scanning hours of footage to find their favorite moments," said Jay Sato, vice president of digital imaging marketing at Sony Electronics. "It is an all-in-one video capturing and editing camcorder that offers a fast and easy PC-free editing experience." The MD Discam camcorder records up to 20 minutes of video, up to 4,500 still images in MPEG2 file format, and more than four hours (260 minutes) of recorded audio with three digital still images in Interview Mode. The image quality of MD Discam video delivers more than 400 lines of horizontal resolution. MD Discam camcorder uses MD Data2 media, called MD View (MMD-650A), which was developed to handle the high capacity video storage needs of the MD Discam camcorder. It holds 650 MB of audio/video re-writable data. To add to the fun and creativity of shooting and editing home movies, Sony built-in a number of professional-looking transitional effects to give camcorder users eye-catching ways to transition from scene to scene. Some transitional effects that can be inserted between tracks include: Wipes, Dissolves, Mosaic and Fades. The MD Discam will be available in January at consumer electronics retailers and through Sony VAIO Direct and is expected to sell for $2,299. One MD View disc comes with the camcorder and additional discs will be available the estimated selling prices of $14.99. PC Watch Posts Samples From Sony's New Discam The PC Watch website has just posted sample JPGs and MOVs from the new palm-sized Sony Discam. Here's some more information on the Sony Discam from ZDNet

11-01-99

SanDisk Significantly Increases Capacity of All Flash Memory Products With New 256 Megabit Technology SUNNYVALE, Calif.--Nov. 1, 1999-- SanDisk Corporation - news) today introduced a new generation of flash memory technology that greatly increases the capacity of its MultiMediaCards, CompactFlash(TM) (CF(TM)) cards, PC Cards, SD (Secure Digital) Memory Cards, FlashDrives and flash chipsets. The high capacity flash products are based on a new 256 megabit (Mbit) D2 (Double Density) flash chip designed by SanDisk. This third generation D2 flash memory has been designed to achieve sustained write rates equivalent to SanDisk's standard (binary) flash design. Using the new technology, SanDisk's top capacity of the MultiMediaCard increases from 32 megabytes (MB) to 64 MB, its new SD Memory Card will be 64 MB, Type I CompactFlash cards increase from 96MB to 192 MB and the Type II CF cards go from 160 MB to 300 MB. SanDisk's Type II PC cards rise in capacity from 440MB to 1.2 gigabytes (GB). In the FlashDrive form factor, SanDisk increases capacity from 440 MB to 1.2 GB and its flash chipsets increase from 32 MB to 64 MB. SanDisk also introduced a Type III PC card with a capacity of 1.6 GB. The new products will be demonstrated at COMDEX in Las Vegas, NV, November 15-19 at the SanDisk booth, Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall, L- 1509. Sampling of the new SanDisk flash memory cards, drives and chipsets, with the exception of the MultiMediaCard and SD Memory Card started in October, 1999, with production shipments starting in November - December, 1999. The new MultiMediaCards and SD Memory Card will range in capacity between 32 and 64 MB while Type I CompactFlash cards will range between 24 and 192 MB capacities. Type II PC Card and FlashDrive capacities will range between 32 MB and 1.2 GB.

11-01-99

i-glasses LC Affordable Digital Head Mounted Display System for $349 MENLO PARK, Calif--Nov. 1, 1999--i-O Display Systems, LLC, the leading manufacturer and supplier of head-mounted personal display devices, today introduced i-glasses(TM) LC, a head mounted personal display system featuring an all new digital S-Video interface. The new digital interface accepts S-Video signals providing a high performance compatibility with high resolution video sources while continuing to offer the versatility that has made the i-glasses product popular in applications such as from video game play, portable DVD or video viewers, camera viewfinders and portable equipment monitors. "i-glasses are gaining rapid acceptance, used with portable DVD players, notebook computer movie players, 3D and professional video cameras, underwater cameras, video game systems, portable ultrasound equipment and on and on," said Jeff Fergason, President of i-O Display Systems. "The attractive new color and the low price will further expand the market for this versatile, high-performance product." The i-glasses are a lightweight (8 oz.) pair of glasses with tiny, embedded liquid crystal displays and an advanced optical design based on the display technology used in modern fighter jets. When connected to a video source (DVD, VCR or video game) the i-glasses create the illusion of an 80-inch screen floating 11 feet away from the viewer. The i-glasses also have comfortable and hygienic over-the-ear headphones that provide excellent stereo sound. When connected to a DVD player or a notebook computer, i- glasses provide an exceptional entertainment experience.

11-01-99

Solar-Powered Battery Chargers I just posted my user review for the ICP Solar Battery Charger/Eliminators -- these things are really cool, check 'em out. I think they'll make a great stocking stuffer for that gadget freak on your Christmas shopping list.

11-01-99

Sony Mavica FD-91 Review Posted I just posted the full Sony Mavica FD-91 user review.  It would be really nice to see this 14X digitally stabilized lens on a 2-megapixel camera (how about it Mr Sony?) The Sony DSC-F55 is due in shortly and I'm still working on the full user review for the new DSC-F505, my DSC-F505 First Look report has already been posted.

11-01-99

UMAX Launches AstraCam for Under $200 FREMONT, Calif.--Nov. 1, 1999-- UMAX Technologies, Inc., a leader in imaging technologies, today launched the AstraCam, its new camera that opens the door for digital photography to millions of consumers through its ease-of-use and affordable price. The UMAX AstraCam captures 640 x 480 digital images with the click of one button, and can also record up to 20-seconds of voice memos with each image. The image and audio are then transferred to the user's PC with the click of one more button, located on the AstraCam's unique and convenient Universal Serial Bus (USB) docking cradle. The AstraCam offers 'one touch operation' and 'computer-ready' photography that delivers unprecedented ease of use. Its USB docking cradle exemplifies simplicity to bridge pictures and audio narration from the camera to the computer with the touch of one button, while charging the camera's batteries at the same time. See our complete review of the Umax Astracam

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